Dalit family in Odisha ostracized for resisting child marriage

Balasore /Odisha: The villagers of Balia Pati located in Odisha’s Balasore district are socially boycotting a Dalit family for refusing to marry off their minor daughter.

The police linked the incident to what they said an ‘internal dispute’, The Siasat Daily reported.

The family, however, has been denied food, water, entry into temples, marketplaces for the past three years, according to the report.

Prasant Bar and his wife face the ill-treatment after their daughter was allegedly kidnapped by a man from another village.

The girl was subsequently rescued and safely brought back home to her family.

Since the girl’s return, the villagers have been forcing the couple to marry her off to the man who had abducted her.

Prasant, however, has earned the wrath of the villagers as he insists his daughter pursue education.

The girl, who is now in college, filed a complaint with the Singla police station on June 14.

She complained of the ‘mental torture’ that her parents had been subjected to.

Police, however told Siasat.com that the complaint stemmed from a recent dispute between Prasant and the head of the village.

Prasant used to draw water from Pradeep’s water cellar for farm but refused to pay for it.

Police claimed that Prasant’s daughter was not kidnapped but eloped with a man, who is now married and has a son.

Police also said that boycott started only a few days ago, quite unlike what the media reports said as three years.

Police accused Prasant of having bribed media for favour, adding

‘We have not registered an FIR on the matter since the complainant themselves wish not to take it further, and they have said that they will talk with the villagers in a day or two and try to resolve the issue; the police will also be present to mediate,’ Inspector-in-Charge Kamalini Tandi was quoted as saying.